Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

According to the indiegogo page the 2nd Linux besides Android is Debian.

Some questions:
1. Does this Debian have its own kernel or does it use the Android kernel?
2. If it has its own kernel, is it a Debian distribution kernel?
3. If it isn't, are all the modules mainlined?
4. If they aren't, where do I get the sources?
5. Which blobs are involved?

Edit:
Why does the last photo show the desktop running as root?

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Buy soon,
Availability may decrease:

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

https://sourceforge.net/projects/cdesktopenv/
I would really like this desktop environment on it.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Early versions of Xfce were heavily inspired by CDE, and since the Debian variant already uses Xfce, one could argue, that you'd be using some sort of spiritual offspring of CDE anyways.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Larger video with a bit more discription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwZL8F1lYAY

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Still skeptical. Concerns about the kernel and whether or not it's using some abstraction layer between Android device drivers and the Linux system. If it's pure debian with a real Linux kernel, I'm buying two.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

well, since it's MTK based I'm pretty sure that it's android kernel. That's why I wasn't interested in the first place.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Nobody here knows the answers?
Has that non been asked on Indiegogo? Or just not yet been answered?

This device looks tempting...

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

XFCE is cool but I want a true 90s interface

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

The case could be interesting for moders anyway

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Highly doubtful.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Just theme it. You can make XFCE as beautiful or as ugly as you want.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Can you make it look like Windows 3.0?

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

I see.
Well, since you'd have to build CDE on your own anyways you could just as well try TWIN [1], for a TRUE true 90s interface. ;)

[1] https://sourceforge.net/projects/twin/

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Do you think there could be someone in the comunity with enough skills to compile hildon, or later maemo/meego interfaces into this new gemini pda? I do feel the new pda is the hw that can run all those UI's that never had a proper HW to run in (because it did not exist back then).

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

For what I know the machine is only able to run linux. It is in prototype stages and debian is only a proof of concept at this time. In fact even android is at the begining stages. It works but it do not surely have yet the interface tweaked for a "handheld pc". A beautiful oportunity to get engaged with a long dreamed project. I guess that if you decide to put maemo/meego UI to run in this chipset they would have no problem to distribute it. For what I heard, they started with Debian but open to external colaboration to create diferent distros firmwares.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

If there is such a someone with enough skills in the community, then he doesn't have enough interest in doing it.
Up until Squeeze there was a hildon-desktop package in Debian which afair was the same version like on the N800 or N810. But it was in terrible shape. It was literally unusable and I didn't figure out how to configure it to make is usable.

If there were someone with enough interest and skill to port hildon to the Gemini, I bet he'd currently make sure there is a working hildon package in Debian.

There is no such thing like a "Debian proof of concept stage". Debian runs on more platforms than any other Linux and it is very clear where it can run and where it can't.
So if you design new hardware where you intend to run Debian, you have to either make sure to chose components that are already compatible with Debian or you have to make sure that Debian gets that compatibility (sources hosted by the Debian project).

Anything else, like creating a chimera of an Android kernel and a Debian userland is doomed to fail in the long run.
This is why I asked those questions in my first post here. I want to know if this is a true Debian system (in which case I'd be very interested if I can circumvent booting the Android system at all) or some twisted chimera (in which case I don't have the slightest interest in this device).


[1] http://snapshot.debian.org/binary/hildon-desktop/

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

in connection with hildon on this device (or any other Linux device) ... see Maemo-Leste on GitHub
https://github.com/maemo-leste

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

this.

If we manage to do it as we want and plan, it will be just a matter of HW adaptation package to have it running on whatever (upstream kernel supported) device you may think of.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

The killer question may be:

is this something we can boot from USB

or

do we need a cleanroom environment
with all the
kludgeware ADB thisworks thatdoesn't insanity
that goes with squeezing a distro through an
Android enema of some sort.
Because that pig ain't got no wings.

If we can boot it through USB then this might be golden:
I have seen somewhere MTK had a kernel refence,
aand as shoddy as MTK is that may cure some issues,
assuming this is not running on top of an Android layer.

(BTW I bought a Nokia 6 and Android it runs is beyond hopeless)

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Did I miss something? :rolleyes:

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Is there any information about the development state of the SailfishOS on the Gemini PDA. Its unclear for me, if it will be a community version or a fully supported Jolla SailfishOS

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

i've read community supported elsewhere (no source).

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Maybe this will help?
https://jolla.com/wp-content/uploads..._Computers.pdf

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Thanks man, this is indeed something.....
Let wait and hope that it will com soon (tm)....

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

There is no a formal or official relationship in here - it's still a community port, and the press release just shows that SFOS can run on this device.

And it's been such a long time there isn't a single mention on the Youyota Tablet. Which literally makes everything much more difficult.

Sigh

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/g...e#/updates/all

This is the best news direction yet

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTU28QgYHdQ

This answers most of our questions regarding Gemini PDA

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Wow! I must say this sounds much more optimistic than I originally thought. I did back them in the original campaign, mainly because in my eyes they deserve support already for the effort of trying to make such a device in 2017/18, but now I start feeling quite some potential (I have to admit my first impression about the linux support was that they will sort of one-time hack something, maybe even just through chrooting, tick the corresponding bullet in powerpoint, and then solely concentrate on the Android needs).

It's quite a shame it won't be one-hand operable... On the other hand, that means I can keep dreaming about a true N900 successor (hello, Chen :-) )

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Wait what - a community port? What is Pienimäki doing there on stage then? Stealing the show? I dont recall any mention on it being a community port (correct me if im wrong); so this has to be jolla beef, or it means they are stealing projects from someone else.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

As the spoke person described in the video Sailfish is almost fully supporting Gemini PDA, even the 4G/LTE is working..

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Deleted... Based on incorrrect info... Corrected by Robissimo below.


EDIT: I forgot to mention. This post applies to US carriers.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Good to see it running Hildon.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Hildon? What? When? Where?

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Last OS featured in the YouTube link a few posts before. PostmarketOS.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

I just checked, t-mobile, from this site https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-4988, says that it can use bands 2 and 4 for lte both of which are listed as supported lte bands on the gemini indiegogo site.

I don't know much about this kind of stuff so I am probably wrong.

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

Thanks! The table of US carrier frequencies I was checking was either outdated or incorrect. The Tmobile LTE bands 2 4 5 12 are supported by Gemini PDA! I'm interested again!

Re: Gemini PDA Happened, A Debian Linux Dream Came True..
 

I really hope they open enough bits to allow us to bring the full maemo (leste) experience on that device.